Apparatus for making fertilizer from nightxsoil



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. LAMB. APPARATUS FUR MAKING PERTILIZER PROM NIGHT SOIL. No. 548,561.

Patenteot. 22, 1895.

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l(No Model.) u 2 Sheets-Sheet v2.

I E. LAMB. APPARATUS POR MAKING PERTILIZER FROM NIGHT SOIL. No. 548,561.Patented 001:. 22, 1895.

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UNITED STATES yPATENT l I EDWIN LAMB, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING FERTILIZER FROM NlGHT-SOIL SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 548,561, dated October 22, 1895. Applicationledebruary 20, 1895 Serial No. 539,152. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN LAMB, a citizen ofthe United States, residingat Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvexnents in Apparatus for the Manufacture ofFertilizer from Night-Soil, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inapparatus for converting night-soil into a fertilizer, and it has forits objects among others to provide a simple and cheap apparatus forthis purpose, of i few parts, and those simple in their nature,efficient in operation, and durable.

I provide a receptacle into which the refuse is first placed, and thisreceptacle is provided with perforated sides through which the materialpasses, but which will not permit of the passage of tin cans and thelike which often find theirway into the refuse. From this receptacle thematerial passes into a larger one, from which the liquid portion passesto side compartments, where it is caused to pass through gravel or someanalogous substance and from thence to an evaporator. The solid matterpasses to a cylinder, Within which is arranged a revolving heatercomposed of tubes, through which steam is caused to pass as the same isrevolved. The steam, after passing through the tubes and performing itsoffice, passes to the evaporator, where it serves to evaporate the watertaken from the material. More than one cylinder may be employed inconnection with the one receptacle and all driven by the same power,there being, of course, a tubular beater for each cylinder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear,and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in Which-'- Figure l is a central verticallongitudinal section through my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a planthereof with a portion broken away.

, Like letters of reference indicate like parts in bothof the views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates asuitable receptacle of any suitable material and of any desiredshape,preferably rectangular, as shown in Fig. 2. It may be supported at anydesired height in any way, as upon supports or trestle-,work A', andupon its sides it is provided with the small compartments A2 andseparated from the main compartment or re.- ceptacle by partitions a,provided with perforations or holes d', as seen in Fig. l. These smallcompartments are designed to receive sand or some analogous materialthrough which the liquid from the refuse is caused to percolate. Thebottoms of these small compartments are connected by pipes a2 with apipe A? common to them all, and which connects by pipe A4 with theevaporator B, which maybe arranged at any convenient place. y Within thereceptacle A there is suspended a supplemental receptacle B', havingperforated sides and bottom through which the refuse may pass, butpreventing the passage of tincans, pieces of wood, and other foreignsubstances, such'as often are thrown into the night-soil. Thisreceptacle is held within the outer receptacle in any suitable manner,and one or more openings b are provided for the introduction of thematerial thereto, there being to each opening preferably a hopper B2,closed b v a cover b', which may be hinged, as shown at b2 in Fig. l.

C are uprghts for, the support of the shaft D. E is a cylinder mountedon the said shaft, so that the latter may turn independent of thecylinder but still capable of being turned upside down when itis`desired to remove the contents thereof. It is provided upon its upperside with aslide or doorfor cover D closing the opening therein, asshown in both of the views. This cover or door may be secured in placein any suitable manner. Two or more of these cylinders may b e employed,as seen in Fig. 2, and each is supplied withV the material from thereceptacle A through a pipe D2, which is provided with a suitable valveor cock d, as shown in Fig. l, and the said 'pipe should have adetachable or slip connection with the oylinder,so that when it isdesired ICO to turn the latter over bottom side up to dismoved to allowofthe necessary movementy of the cylinder without injury to the pipe orthe connection.y

The shaft D has at each end a longitudinal f passage e and e',respectively, as seen in Fig. l. One endr is designed for connectionwith some suitable source of steam or hot air, as seen at e2, and theinner end of this passage communicates by radial passages eswith thehollow casting or head F, and the passage at the other end of the shaftcommunicates with a hollow casting or head G by radial passages f, theheads or castings being suitably secured to the shaft and, if necessary,braced, as by the brace-rods f, as shown in Fig. l. The heads orcastings are connected by the tubes H, which are secured therein in anywellknown way. The shaft passes through suitable stuffing-boxes h nearthe ends within the cylinder, as shown. The yheads and theirconnecting-tubes are arranged to be revolved within the cylinder in anysuitable manneras, for instance, by having onthe end of the shaftoutside the end of the cylinder a gearwheel or pinion I, which isdesigned to mesh with a gear-wheel or pinion .I on the shaft K, which issuitably mounted and receives its power through the pulley K from anysuitable source by belt. (Not shown.) If two cylin-y ders are employed,the gear-wheel or pinion J should be arranged between the gears of thesaid cylinders, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to rotate them both and inopposite directions.

Il is an outlet-pipe from the receptacle or cylinder E for the purposeof carrying away the odor, which is preferably conducted to the grate ofthe furnace. (Not shown.)

M are rollers beneath the cylinder and upon which the latter may beeasily turned when it is desired to empty the same of its contents.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above set forththe operation is as follows: The refuse is placed into the receptacle Bthrough the hoppers and openings and percolates through the openingstherein into the receptacle A, foreign substances-such as tin cans,pieces of Wood, and the like-being prevented from passing out of theinner receptacle. From there they may be removed when necessary. Theliquid is passed through the sand in the compartments A2 and through thepipes into the evaporator, where it is evaporated by the steam passingthrough the coil N, connected with the end ot' the shaft D, and coiledthrough the evaporator, as seen in Fig. 1. The matter relieved of theliquid is then let into the cylinder through the pipe D2 and steam orhotair admitted to the tubes H and the latter, with their heads,

rrotated until the materials are relieved ot' their odor and moisture,andfafter being subjected to the action of the steam or hot air for theproper length of time, which will have to be determined by experienceand varied according to the nature of the material being operated upon,the cylinder is turned bottom side up and the contents removed.

Modifications in detail may be resorted Ito without departing from thespirit of the 1nvention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

The apparatus may be employed for drying other materials than night-soilfor the manufacture of fertilzer or for separating the water therefrom.

l. The combination of a cylinder, a rotary tubularbeater therein, areceptacle connected with the cylinder, and providedfwith apercelatingdevice and an evaporator, all arranged for joint operation, as setforth.

2. The combination with a receptacle hav-r ing side compartments, of anevaporator conrnectedf'with said compartments, a cylinder connected withthe receptacle, and a rotary tubular beater within the cylinder theshaft of which has connection with a coil in the evaporator, as setforth. g

3. The combination with the receptacle and the inner receptaclewithperforationshof the cylinder, the evaporator, the coil therein, thetubular beater with hollow heads within the Cylinder, the connectionbetween rone of said heads andthe coil, and means for rotating thebeater, as set forth.

4. The combination with the receptacle, with side compartments withperforated partitions, of the smaller receptacle or compartmentsuspended Within the same between said partitions and having perforatedwalls and bottom located a distance above the bottom of the mainreceptacle, substantially as show/n and described.

5. The combination with the receptacle and the cylinder connectedtherewith, of the outlet for the odor from the cylinder, the interposedevaporator having a coil connected with the shaft of a tubular beaterand with a pipe connecting the compartments of said receptacle and therotary tubular beater within the cylinder, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWIN LAMB.

Witnesses:

W. A. BEEGHER, J. CRAIG SMITH.

